While You Were Sleeping
by PearlyJammer
Summary: Things Change......(I'm awful at summaries) Just read please!


1 Title: While You Were Sleeping  
  
Author: Autumn  
  
E-mail: dyslexic_crisco_penguin_fiend@hotmail.com  
  
Summary: Hermoine and Harry face the inevitable. From the ashes, the unexpected arises.  
  
A/N: set-up for a longer story will eventually be Hermoine and ???? And Harry and???  
  
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all the wizarding types, and the song 'Rest Stop' belongs to Matchbox20.  
  
  
  
2 Just three miles from the rest stop  
  
And she slams on the breaks  
  
She said I tried to be but I'm not  
  
And could you please collect your things  
  
I don't wanna be cold  
  
I don't wanna be cruel  
  
But I've gotta find more  
  
Than what's happening with you  
  
If you'd open up the door  
  
Hermoine sat in contemplative silence. Various thoughts swerving through her mind. She didn't know if it were coupled with end of the term jitters, or somthing else. It had been building for some time now, she could feel it. But the revelation still led her nowhere. She didn't know what she wanted, but Hermoine realized now it wasn't Harry, and had never been.  
  
There were no feelings of sadness, regret or pain. It was just the way it was. Logical or not, Hermione couldn't classify how the event made her feel. Indifferent maybe, but even that seemed too casting. Indecisive was out of the question. It just was how she felt, and though she couldn't explain it, nor felt the need to, Hermione still wished it wasn't so. She didn't want to hurt Harry, although part of her hoped he felt the same. The question remaining was how to tell him. She would not do him the unservice of keeping it from him in any way.  
  
She'd always been direct in matters of the mind and heart. She would tell him tonight of course, who knew when the courage would come again. Hermione just wanted a little time to plot out what exactly she would say. It wasn't everyday that one broke up with their boyfriend of nearly three years after all. Sighing in resignation, she finished gathering her thoughts before opening the door of her Head girl's mini-flat.  
  
Hermione caught sight of Harry and Ron entering the Gryffindor common room, back from what appeared to be a successful Quidditch practice if their glowing cheeks and boisterous laughter was anything to go by. It would have to be to act as a moodkiller she thought ruefully, but without second thoughts none the less. Harry's gaze landed on her and he strode across the room, still widely grinning to kiss her affectionately on the cheek. She allowed it but did not kiss back. Instead she took his hand and led them to the garden off the side of the side of Hufflepuff house. Not many people came this way, and Hermione wanted privacy for harry and herself.  
  
  
  
  
  
She said-While you were sleeping  
  
I was listening to the radio  
  
And wondering what you're dreaming when  
  
It came to mind that I didn't care  
  
So I thought-hell if it's over  
  
I had better end it quick or I could loose my nerve  
  
Are you listening-can you hear me  
  
Have you forgoten  
  
  
  
Harry sat in slightly stunned silence. Part of him was angry with her, but that was replaced with a curiosity to know why. She bit her lip thoughtfully and stared hard in concentration. "I don't know" came her reply.  
  
"You don't know?" he repeated dumbly.  
  
"Hermione, I'm honestly puzzled. You're breaking up with me and you don't know why?"  
  
"Well, yes Harry."  
  
He stared at her as if she'd grown another head.  
  
"I can't explain it properly, but I feel it's right. I know it is."  
  
" If it's what you truly want. I can't say I completely understand, but I won't ever make you tell me. Not if you don't want too." He said gently.  
  
She kissed him lightly on the cheek. Nothing could break the bond their relationship had been based on, their friendship, loyalty and affection for one another. They both knew though the status of their relationship had changed, they would remain the best of friends as always. They held each other and ruminated over everything they'd been and done with one another.  
  
"Just so you know Harry, I regret nothing we've done. None of it."  
  
His heart lifted to hear that, he'd suspected as much but it was still nice to hear that statement come from her lips.  
  
" None?" he asked slightly and wiggled his eyebrows at her.  
  
She laughed softly, "none of it. I wouldn't change a thing, even if I knew the outcome" she said seriously.  
  
" I love you Hermione."  
  
"I love you too, just not in the way I thought I did. But it's better this way, and not much will truly change you know?"  
  
"Well I can think of a few under the sheets type things....."  
  
That earned him a light smack from Hermione. "Careful Potter!" she lightly teased.  
  
"You're always welcome in my bed Harry you know that."  
  
Harry's nightmares were legendary. He'd began having them after his first battle with Voldermont. He'd been crawling into Hermione's bed since she'd been made a prefect and assigned her own room. He always slept better when he was with someone who loved him. "Thanks Herm" he said and placed a small kiss on top of her head.  
  
They lay under the stars long after the sun was down, comfortable in the other's company. Hermione had been right; little would change between them.  
  
  
  
*******************************  
  
  
  
Just three miles from the rest stop  
  
And my mouth's too dry to rage  
  
The light was shinning from the radio  
  
I could barely see her face  
  
But she knew all the words that I never had said  
  
She knew the crumpled-up promises of this  
  
Broken down man-and as I opened up the door  
  
Harry and Ron were sitting together in the dungeons as usual, bored out of their minds and without Hermione to keep a watchful eye upon the pair, they refused to pay attention to Snape's lecture.  
  
"So that was it?" Ron asked with a mixture of emotion on his face that Harry couldn't quite read.  
  
"Yeah. It's done, over, finite."  
  
"And you're taking this calmly because why?"  
  
"Herm's right Ron. We're just not really meant to be."  
  
To his astonishment the red haired boy went into a fury. "what in the bleedin' hell is wrong with you? Our best friend whom you've been dating for three bloody years dumps you, and all you have to say is 'finite? What on earth has gotten into your head Harry?  
  
In the middle of Ron's rant, professor Snape lifted his head. "Weasly, touching as your concern for your recently estranged friends is, it has nothing to do with the Revealing Charm, which had you been paying attention would know that is the focus of this lesson. 10 points from Griffyndor" he said smoothly, while inwardly processing the information.  
  
He admitted to nobody he'd taken a fancy to the young Griffyndor woman around the middle of her sixth year. Her intellect and temper matched his own perfectly, and now that she was in her final year at Hogwarts, perhaps it was time to get the ball rolling. He had no idea how Hermione felt about him, contempt, and respect perhaps. Either way he intended to find out, and if necessary, persuade her to see him in a more favorable light.  
  
  
  
She said-While you were sleeping  
  
3 I was listening to the radio  
  
And wondering what you're dreaming when  
  
It came to mind that I didn't care  
  
So I thought-hell if it's over  
  
I had better end it quick or I could loose my nerve  
  
Are you listening-can you hear me  
  
Have you forgoten  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape sat at his office waiting for the now late Miss Granger to come knocking on his door. She'd missed the lesson earlier today and he had agreed to allow her to make it up in private. "You're late," he said coolly as she entered. "Miss Granger, I do not take my time lightly-"  
  
"Sorry" was her reply, surprising him by cutting him off mid sentence.  
  
Curiosity got the better of him, "would you like to explain your tardiness?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Could it have been a lecture from Ronald Weasly?"  
  
She looked up at him in surprise, how could he know?  
  
"You're cheeks are flushed and you're face hides nothing Miss Granger" he explained softly.  
  
What on earth was he looking at her cheeks for that anyway? As far as she knew, Snape mostly detested her. Mostly being the key word. Could things have changed?  
  
"So," he inquired "how did Potter take the break-up?"  
  
She dropped her entire vile of dragon spleen into the cauldron at the unexpected questioning. Hermione really shouldn't have been that surprised; news of their split had probably been common knowledge by the time Care of Magical Creatures rolled around. At her clumsiness Snape rose from his seat and walked around by her side to peer into the now light brown liquid, it reminded him of muggle coffee.  
  
"Tsk, tsk Miss Granger, something on your mind?" He intoned with a slightly playful edge to his voice.  
  
"Nothing I wish to discuss with you Professor Snape."  
  
What in blazes was he so interested in her love life for now anyway? He'd never shown much more than impatience towards her and her friends. Now why the inquisition about her love life? "Miss Granger either concentrate on your potion or do fill me in on the details surrounding this mystery."  
  
She snapped. "Nothing in my love life is of your concern. Until it involves you in some inane, impossible way kindly keep your curiosity to yourself!" she spat at him before quickly finishing the potion and slamming out the door.  
  
Until it involves you........ The phrase played through his mind. "Now how to get rid of that until part" he wondered allowed. Perhaps it was time to reveal the charming side of Severus Snape. 


End file.
